Sabotage
by LoveBugOC
Summary: Draco Malfoy is proud of his daughter, especially since she takes after him. So when she comes up with a plan to sabotage her mother's upcoming marriage, he agrees and takes matters into his own hands. Four-parts.
1. One: Three Months

Hey guys,

So this is a four-part story story I've had taking up space on my computer for months now. Probably a year or so. This first part is just sort of an introduction to the rest of story. I think it's a little different from what I usually write, but it's alright.

Anyway, have a read and leave some thoughts! I hope you enjoy it!

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

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**Sabotage**

_Draco Malfoy is proud of his daughter, especially since she takes after him. So when she comes up with a plan to sabotage her mother's upcoming marriage, he agrees and takes matters into his own hands._

X

**One - Three Months**

Monday morning. Draco Malfoy hates Monday mornings. Really. He has a terrible time getting up on time, which sets his whole morning routine backwards and never fails to make him late for work. Or almost late. Whatever. The point is he hates Monday mornings.

The afternoons aren't that bad, in fact he sort of likes them. Once the clock turns noon, he knows there's only three hours left in the day before he can go home and put his feet up. (Or to the nearest pub to find some company.)

Monday evenings are the best, for various reasons. The most important being that in just a few short hours it will be Tuesday morning. And he likes Tuesday mornings.

But no, this morning it's a Monday. First day of the bloody work week and of course he's running late. Alright, so technically he's perfectly on time, but seeing as how every other morning he's always ten minutes early, this is late for him.

It's 6:59 am when he walks into his office to find his 17 year old daughter, Rosalyn Phoenix Malfoy, in all her bouncing brown curls and honey brown eyes. He pauses in the doorway, with his cloak half pulled off, looking at her as she sits in his chair behind his desk. She's a spitting image of her mother – beauty, brains and sharp tongue. She drops her legs onto the floor and leans forward, her mouth opening to speak.

He lifts his hand, silencing her before she can make a sound. "Don't speak. I need five minutes to get a coffee."

"But dad it's important," the teenager whines.

"Five minutes, Rose. Please?" He shrugs out of his cloak and hangs it on the back of the door before placing his briefcase on top of the desk and heading back out with his daughter on his heels. "Shouldn't you still be in bed? It's summer vacation-"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Why not?"

"That's why I want to talk to you. It's about mum-"

"Oh, no. Okay, I need ten minutes then, alright? I can't deal with your mother this early in the morning."

"It's also about McLaggen..."

The sound of McLaggen's name on his daughters lips – is almost as nauseating as it is coming out of Granger's – captures his attention. He freezes, mid-pour, and his fists clench tightly. He's always hated McLaggen. He just hates him even more _now_.

"McLaggen?" His voice sounds fake even to him, as he adds milk and sugar to his coffee. He turns around to face his daughter, who is now on this side of the desk, leaning against it with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You don't have to pretend to like him in front of me, you know I don't like him either. It's Scorpius you have to worry about offending," she points out.

"Right, well, the only reason Scorpius even likes the scumbag is because he gets free flying lessons," the blonde says bitterly. "I'd teach him myself, but-"

"You're too busy working, we know."

Draco sighs, frowning as he walks around and sits down in his chair, looking across the table as the tall, lanky teenager lowers herself into the plush chair on the other side. "So, you were saying?" he asks as casually as he can muster. He raises his mug to his lips.

"They're engaged."

He chokes on the hot liquid, spluttering and coughing as he clears his throat and composes himself. He stares, eyes wide, at Rose. "They're _what_?"

"Engaged," she repeats, albeit hesitantly.

He blinks once. Twice. Three times, before he launches himself out of his chair and begins to pace behind it. He pushes his right hand through his hair roughly.

"Dad-"

"Since when?" he demands.

"Last night. They went out for dinner and when they came back, she had a ring on her finger – it's really beautiful though. Huge too-"

"Rosie, focus."

"Right, so anyway, I asked her about it and she said he proposed at the restaurant. Obviously she said yes, which is a load of bullocks. They've only been dating for like, what, six months-"

"Six and a half," he corrects her absentmindedly.

She smirks, one that mirrors his own, as she leans back in her chair looking smug. "Wow. I didn't know you were keeping tabs on her-"

"I'm not."

"Mhmm. Then why are _you_so put off by it?" she points out.

He almost answers her. He almost tells her the truth but he stops, his mouth open as he considers his answer. "You knew I would be, otherwise you wouldn't be here," he tells her instead. He stops pacing to look at her. "So what is it you want me to do?"

She smirks, again. He knows her so well… "I want you to stop it, sabotage it, whatever."

"You want me to sabotage your mother's wedding?"

"Oh don't act like you're not already thinking of ways to do it anyway," she snaps

He frowns; she's got him there.

"You don't have much time."

"What do you mean I don't have much time? They couldn't have set a date already-"

"Oh but they have. Haven't you heard? McLaggen is in a mighty rush to marry her."

Draco ignores the bitter sarcasm in her voice, shaking his head of her voice. "How long do I have Rose?"

Rose smiles, genuinely happy. "I knew you'd do it."

"How long?"

"Three months."

"Three months! You want me to sabotage a wedding in three months?" He explodes, thankful that his office has a silencing charm on it at all times. "What the bloody hell is she thinking, rushing into something like this – she isn't a bloody teenager anymore."

Rose watches as her father continues to pace around, grumbling and complaining about how her mother 'seems to like to jump into things far too quickly' and how she's 'acting irresponsible and irrational for someone who's supposed to be so bloody intelligent'. She smirks, looking amused, because she knows her father's deepest, darkest secret – which he will never admit to anyone, not even to her.

"She's insane. Your mother is insane, Rosie."

"Trust me, I know."

He stops pacing then, and flops down into his chair looking defeated and frustrated. "Three months…" he mutters.

"It's not a lot of time, I know-"

"This is why I don't deal with your mother this early in the morning, because she drives me bloody insane and now my whole day is..." he trails off, biting his lip to keep his anger and frustration somewhat in check. "Three months! How am I supposed to sabotage a wedding in only three months?"

She shrugs, pushing herself to her feet and then walking around to his side of the desk, sitting on the edge beside him. "You'll think of something, daddy, you always do. Why do you think I came to you?" she asks innocently.

He grumbles, leaning back in his chair as he rubs his hands over his face.

"So, I'll leave you to it then! I'm meeting Adrian for breakfast, so just let me know how it goes-"

"What – how it goes? You're not even going to help?"

"Daddy. You've had more practice than me at this sort of thing, and _this_sort of thing, needs someone who's experienced and calculating and wants it for all the...wrong reasons. Therefore…" she trails off, letting him put the pieces together himself.

"You, are the most sly, conniving daughter I've ever known." He could've laughed, if only he wasn't so bloody annoyed.

"I'm the only daughter you've ever known." She giggles, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "Love you, daddy."

"Love you too – oh! When you see Scorpius, tell him I'll pick him up after dinner for that Quidditch game," he calls after her as she walks out the door.

"'Kay!"

X

He hasn't been able to concentrate all day. Curse his ex-wife and her way of getting herself under his skin. Curse his daughter for helping. When lunch rolls around, he takes the opportunity to go to the fifth floor – her floor. Because while he believes his daughter whole-heartedly, he has to see it for himself. And also, the afternoons are the best time to deal with her.

It's just his luck that when he walks off the elevator she's walking across the lobby, from her office to the supply closet. Oh, how he misses that supply closet. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Granger-danger. Fancy meeting you here," he drawls, cocking his head to the side with his infamous smirk.

She doesn't even bother to look up from the pile of papers in her arms. "Nice try Malfoy, but this is my floor."

Deciding to ignore her and her usual indifferent tone, he falls into step behind her. "Working into lunch I see? Same old boring Granger, huh?"

"Is there a reason why you're following me? Because I really don't want to deal with you this early in the day," she snaps.

"Early? It's past noon-"

"Exactly."

He rolls his eyes. "Well, if you must know, that's exactly I'm here."

"Of course it is," he mutters.

He watches from the doorway as she reaches up to a shelf that's much too high for her, to grab a box of ministry approved quills. He smirks, watching her struggle as she pushes herself onto her toes. His gaze starts at her feet and works their way up her long, smooth legs, over her nice round bum (pausing briefly to admire its beauty) and he wants nothing more than to press her up against the shelves and shag her like he's done plenty of times before. His gaze continues upwards until they settle on the piece of silver wrapped around her finger, holding a giant diamond in place. His stomachs flip flops and he has to bite back a growl. Wanting to see it no more, he steps forward behind her and reaches for the box himself, bringing it down to her level. He's so close that he can smell her shampoo – he likes that it still smells the same.

"Thanks." She turns around, colliding with his chest before looking up at him. Their gazes lock for a split second before she moves around him.

"I have fond memories in here. _Many_fond memories," he whispers huskily in her ear as he continues to follow her.

"I'm sure you do."

He follows her back across the lobby and into her office, leaving the door open behind him. This, he finds out later, is a grave mistake. "So when were you gonna tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

Except for that brief moment in the closet, she has yet to look at him when he speaks, nor when she answers.

"About your engagement."

"Oh," she pauses. "Yes."

He stares at her dumbly for a moment. "That's it? No explanation, no 'I'm sorry Draco, I should've told you-"

She snaps her gaze up finally, glaring at him. "There's nothing to explain, first of all. And second of all, I didn't tell you because it's none of your business."

"Rose seems to think it's my business."

Hermione sighs. "That's because she's your daughter, and what she fails to realize – and you apparently – is that anything I do, or don't do, isn't any of your business."

"So you really weren't going to tell me? You don't think I deserve to know that you're bringing another man into my home, my family? You don't think I deserve to know you're gonna let _McLaggen_ play the role of step-daddy to _my_children?" he asks bitterly, putting an emphasis on 'my'.

"I never said I wasn't going to tell you," she replies softly. "I would have, eventually, of course. And _Cormac_knows his place."

"That git wouldn't know his place if it stared him in the fucking face."

"Why do you have to be hostile? And why do you hate him so much – you know, nevermind. I don't want to know," she mutters, sitting down at her desk and turning her attention to her work.

"The guy's a complete tool, Granger."

"Yeah well that 'tool' is my fiancé now, and I'd appreciate it if you butted out. Cormac knows his place, like I said. Unlike some people I know…"

He ignores her stab at him, rolling his eyes as he walks around her office. "Is three months even enough time to _plan_a wedding?"

"It's plenty of time, not that it's any of your business."

"Rose doesn't seem to think so."

"Rose will get over it, she always does."

"And if she doesn't? Are you really prepared to risk losing your daughter?"

She glares at him; he knows it's a low blow. A few months back Rose had been so upset at her mother – something about McLaggen – that she'd spent two weeks at his place and threatened never to speak to her again as long as she continued to date the Quidditch star. The 16 year old had caved only days later.

"Rose is a drama queen, Draco, we both know that. Perhaps if you stopped being so negative and judgmental about him, she'd _want_to get to know him."

"So it's my fault then, that our daughter doesn't like the moron?"

"Yes," she confirms.

"Wow, that's...you're really something Granger," the blonde mutters, shaking his head in disbelief. "Honestly the two of you – you and McLaggen – deserve each other. He's dim as a fucking broom stick and you're not far off."

Just then Lavender Brown waltzes into the room. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you had company. I'll just-"

"He was just leaving," Hermione replies, looking pointedly at Draco. Draco only glares back.

"Oh, well I just wanted to congratulate you on the engagement. Ron and I are so happy for you. And you, Draco? Did you come to congratulate her as well," she asks curiously.

"Of course, congratulations," he sneers, before walking out of the office.

X

"THREE MONTHS!" He explodes. From talking to his daughter about it this morning, to catching up with Granger just a few moments ago, Draco has gone to the one place he knows he can scream and yell all he wants. Zabini Incorporated; it used to be Malfoy Inc, before Draco had sold it to his best mate years ago, for he had no interest in the Malfoy family business. He co-owns it, for financial purposes, but Blaise has all the power.

Blaise Zabini looks up from his meal sitting on his desk, to see an enraged Draco Malfoy pacing the entire width of his large office. "What?"

"Three months! Can you believe that?"

"I'm afraid I'm not following, you lunatic," Blaise replies casually, as though it's an everyday occurrence.

Draco sighs, "Granger, she's marrying McLaggen in THREE fucking months."

"Oh they set a date, did they?"

"Yes they set a date – hang on. You _knew_?" The blonde rounds on his friend, looking wild and crazy and he bangs his closed fists down on the edge of the desk.

Blaise shrugs, unfazed by his friend's anger. "Well sure, Granger called Luna last night in a fit of excitement. They didn't have a date set last night though."

"So...she told _you_before she told me?" he asks, sounding hurt and disappointed.

"She told Luna-"

"She might as well have told you then," he snaps. "When the fuck were _you_ going to tell _me_?"

"Right now, actually. I was just going to finish up here and head over to your office – I know you can't deal with Granger in the mornings."

"Mhm."

"How did you find out?" Blaise asks curiously.

"Rose was waiting for me in my office this morning," Draco mutters, deflating in the chair across from Blaise.

"Ahh, of course. Your little spy."

"She's not my spy," the blonde protests.

"No, of course not. She just tells you everything Granger does and says."

"It's not my fault my daughter is open and understanding."

"More like bitchy and conniving."

"Yes well, that's neither here nor there," Draco mumbles, waving it off, leaning back in the chair as he looks up at the ceiling. "Three months."

"I take it you aren't pleased then," the darker skinned wizard observes.

"Of course I'm not pleased! She has no idea what she's doing. She's rushing into this thing like a fucking teenager," he growls.

"Personally, I think teenagers have the right idea. Adults – single ones anyway – worry far too much, whereas teenagers... Remember when we were teenagers? We had no fear – jumping in head first, not knowing where anything was going. That was the life, wasn't it?" Blaise asks fondly.

"Yeah, until you find yourself 19 years down the road with two children in the middle of a divorce."

"You know what your problem is? You're too negative."

"Perhaps, but that doesn't change the fact that Granger is acting completely insane! She's out of her mind!"

"Perhaps. But how is that any of your business?"

"Merlin, you sound like Granger," the blonde mutters, rolling his eyes. "How isn't it my business? She's the mother of my children, Blaise. And whether she likes it or not, I'm always going to be a part of her life because of that – and I'm not about to stand aside and let _McLaggen_play step-father to my kids."

"And, you know, you're still in love with her," Blaise points out.

"Three fucking months Blaise, how is that not crazy?"

"I never said it wasn't crazy."

Draco groans loudly, rubbing his hands over his face. "Rose wants me to sabotage the wedding."

"Of course she does, she's a manipulating she-you."

"She can't stand McLaggen, let alone stomach him."

"You're actually considering sabotaging this wedding?" Blaise asks incredulously, like it's the dumbest thing he's ever heard.

"No, I'm not considering it."

"Then you've already made up your mind. You're going to."

"Yes."

"This is a bad idea mate. A really, really bad idea."

"Well what else am I supposed to do?"

"Let her be happy?" the CEO suggests. "She deserves that much, don't you think?"

"Not with him."

"You mean not with anybody but yourself."

Just like every other time Blaise hints at the fact that he's still in love with his ex-wife, Draco Malfoy ignores him. "Well, it's been nice ranting to you Zabini, buy I must be going," the blonde states, pushing himself to his face.

"You must, must you?"

"And if you repeat a word of this to anyone – especially Luna – I'll hex you so bad-"

"Yeah, no, I believe that. My lips are sealed. Hang on, do you have a plan yet?" Blaise asks, genuinely curious.

"Give me a few hours."

And as Draco Malfoy disapparates with a POP – a rather angry sounding POP at that – Blaise Zabini shakes his head, because there's no way this is going to turn out well. At all.


	2. Two: Operation Sabotage

Hey guys!

Here's the second insallment! Hope you enjoy :)

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**Two-Operation Sabotage**

Hermione Granger-Malfoy, although she'll never admit it, can sometimes be quite a superstitious person. Example: when something doesn't work out, or when there's a glitch in whatever plan she's come up with, she tends to assume that it wasn't meant to be. Draco Malfoy knows this more than anyone.

And Draco Malfoy is not above using it against her. He's come up with a series of phases in this plot to destroy this wedding. Phase one: play on her superstitions. And if that doesn't work then phase two: show her why she shouldn't marry him. And if that doesn't work, the there's always phase three – but there isn't enough time for that so he's praying to Merlin it doesn't get that far.

His first task – given to him by Rose, of course, who is his eyes and ears in the Malfoy home he'd given to Hermione in the settlement – is to ensure that none of the places or things she wants, follows through. In other words, he's written plenty of cheques out to all of these different 'things' – florists, caterers, photographers – to, essentially, pay them off. Once word gets back to the 'happy couple' that their deal has fallen through, Hermione will surely have one of her panic attacks and then call off the wedding under the pretense that if she were meant to marry him, it wouldn't have happened.

It's fool-proof. He's positive.

Rose has given him a list of dates and times for the meetings that Hermione has set up. And so far, he's made it to every single one of those places, and waited for the bride-to-be to leave in all smiles and giddiness before going inside himself and handing the manager a cheque in exchange for them to erase her out of the client book. Every single of one them take it; their vultures, who only care about their clients when there's money involved.

When he reaches the last place – the florist – three weeks later, he finds himself waiting across the street in Diagon Ally for her to come back out. He's sitting on a bench, pretending to read the paper when someone sits down beside him, abnormally close for a stranger. He looks up, a sneer already set in place and a rude comment on the tip of his tongue when he realizes who it is. Pansy Parkinson.

"Hello Draco," she greets him brightly.

"You're awfully lucky you're you, Pansy," he replies.

"I am, aren't I?" she replies fondly.

He rolls his eyes, glancing over the top of the paper to make sure _she's_still inside.

"So, who are you spying on?" she asks, in that rather annoying I-want-to-know-everything-way.

"Nobody."

"Well that was quick, it's definately someone," she observes, noticing how quickly he had answered. "Let's see...I spy with my little eyes something that is-oh. Oh!" she exclaims, looking from the florist shop to Draco, and then back and forth. "Draco...no-"

"Shut it Pansy, I've already heard the lecture from Blaise."

"You're spying on your ex-wife while she's planning her wedding? What are you – a sadist?"

"You wouldn't understand, Pans."

"Understand that you're still in love with her – I understand that plenty. What I don't understand is why you've settled for being the wallflower-"

"I'm not a wallflower."

"Well you're certainly not the center of her world anymore."

"Look, I don't even know what you're talking about, and I have a job to do-"

"I wasn't aware that meddling is an actual job. What's the pay like?" she asks sarcastically.

He stares blankly at her for a moment before turning back around just as Hermione walks out of the building. "Well it was…nice chatting with you and all, but I must be going. Oh, and Pans? Stop trying to be funny...it really doesn't suit you."

"Fuck you Malfoy. Run along, go sabotage your Granger then," she retorts, glaring at him.

He rolls his eyes at her, before jogging across the road once Granger is well out of view. He walks into the small shop, the door jingling as he pushes it open and then let's it close behind him. A woman waltzes right up to him, smiling somewhat flirtatiously. _Vultures_.

"Hello Mr. Malfoy, how can I help you today?"

He smiles that smile he knows makes all the ladies swoon. "The woman that was just in here, Hermione Ma-"

"Ms. Granger, yes."

He pauses, frowning first because she interrupts him, and then because he hadn't known Granger had dropped his last name.

"She's lovely, I can see why you married her. But I can also see why you divorced her, she's a bit neurotic."

His gaze narrows on the witch before him, but she doesn't seem to notice.

"Are you helping with her wedding? She just picked out a beautiful arrangement-"

"Am I helping? No," he scoffs. That's absurd, honestly. He didn't even help plan his own wedding, Hermione had taken care of that all on her own.

"Oh..."

"I'd like to make a donation though, in exchange for something I need you to do for me."

"Anything, Mr. Malfoy, we aim to please," she replies, smiling at him.

"I'm sure you do," he smirks. He pulls the cheque out of his breast pocket of his suit, handing it to her gingerly.

"Oh...oh my, this is..." She trails off before clearing her throat and smiling up at him, her cheeks flushed. "What can I do for you?"

He grins. Hook, line, and- "I need you to drop _Ms. Granger_from your client list."

"Pardon me?"

"I need _you_to drop Ms. Granger from your client list," he repeats, pretending he isn't utterly annoyed by her. "As soon as possible, if possible."

"I'm...I'm not sure I can do that, sir-"

"You said you aim to please, did you not?" he reminds her.

"Well, yes-"

"Well then there shouldn't be a problem is, should there?"

She looks thoughtful for a moment, before nodding curtly and smiling politely. "There's no problem, I'm sure we can work something out."

"Excellent. And one more thing Miss…" he trails off, not knowing her last name-not caring either, however...

"White."

"And one more thing Miss. White, I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself, if you know what I mean," he murmurs.

"Of course."

He nods politely, turning to leave-

"Can I ask why, Mr. Malfoy?"

"If you have to ask why, Miss. White, then you don't have to know."

He turns to leave again, and this time nearly collides with another person.

"I'm so sorry, I-Draco."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. He recognizes that voice. Much too well. "Granger, hello," he replies smoothly.

"What are you doing here?" she asks curiously.

"I was just ordering flowers for my secretary. She's been doing an excellent job of keeping my affairs in order."

"I'm sure she has," she mutters.

He chooses to ignore the innuendo in her tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I was ordering flowers for the wedding. I just forgot my wallet," she responds casually. She walks past him, reaching down onto a couch and grabs her wallet, tucking it back into her purse. She smiles politely at the saleswoman before turning to leave. In which time Draco tosses the woman a look that has her stumbling for words.

"Um, excuse me, Ms. Granger?"

"Yes?" Hermione answers, turning to face the…vulture.

"I'm afraid that what we talked about before is undoable."

"I-I'm sorry?"

The woman glances at behind her at Draco, who nods inconspicuously, before looking back at Hermione. "What I mean to say, Ms. Granger, is that unfortunately I have to remove you from our client list."

Hermione blinks, looking devastated for a moment before clearing her throat and shaking it off. Draco almost smiles – not because he enjoys that look of devastation, but because his plan is working.  
"I see. Can I ask why?

"We're all booked up, you see, and-"

"And? And what, you couldn't tell me this five minutes ago?"

"I would have, I just didn't realize that we were so full. It seems that-"

"It seems like you have no idea what you're doing!" Hermione exclaims out of frustration.

"Granger!" Draco intervenes, placing his hands on her shoulders to calm her down. "C'mon, give the girl a break. It was just a simple misunderstanding, I'm sure."

"Yeah? Well I've had loads of those in the last couple weeks and quite frankly I'm beginning to rethink this whole thing," she snaps emotionally.

"Really?" he has to struggle to keep the excitement out of his voice.

"I have to go," she whispers, shaking her head as she turns to leave.

"Wait, hang on! Let me take you out for lunch," he offers.

"Why would I do that?"

"Because clearly you're upset and you need a picker-upper."

"And you think you're that picker-upper?"

"Food, Granger. It's food."

She sighs, throwing her arms into the air. "Fine. But only because I'm starving."

X

"DAD!"

Had Draco Malfoy already not known who was currently screaming his name and marching through his house, the mere demanding tone would've sufficed. Nobody except for his daughter and his ex-wife speaks to him so...demandingly and thus it has to be his daughter because Granger would never call him 'dad'. (Unless they were feeling really..._really_kinky).

He looks up from the desk inside his home office just as the teenager lets herself in, scrunching her nose in distaste. "Merlin, do you ever stop working?"

"Sure. When you decide to waltz into my office unannounced," he jokes.

"With good reason."

"Oh? Let me be the judge of that, what's up?"

She grins dropping herself onto the couch in the corner of the room. "I don't know what you did, daddy, but I just got home from Meagan's and I heard mum and Aunt Ginny talking about the wedding. Or lack thereof…" she trails off, smiling at him.

"Lack thereof? Has she called it off?" he asks, leaning back in his chair and tossing his quill on the desk.

"I didn't hear the whole thing, all I heard was that she isn't sure she should marry him, and then I bolted out of there and came here. So, what'd you do?" she wonders excitedly, leaning forward with her chin resting on her hands.

"That's confidential-"

"Confidential! I'm the one who tipped you off, dad. I'm the reason you've even got a plan in the first place," she reminds him.

"And I thank you for that, really. But if I tell you what I did, I'd have to kill you," he replies casually.

"That line is so overused, dad."

"And yet the fact remains. Look, all you need to know is that it worked, alright?"

"Fine," she sighs, too excited by the fact that his 'confidential' plan has seemed to work, to actually care enough to press the issue.

"Now, get back home before your mother bites _my_head off for you being here."

X

"So how's mission impossible coming alone?" Blaise asks casually.

Draco rolls his eyes as the two friends walk casually down Diagon Ally, on a mission of their own to buy Luna a birthday present. "I really appreciate your support Zabini, it's really nice," he replies sarcastically.

"I'm just saying, the chances of this little plot are slim, mate. I think your time would be better spent just admitting to her and everyone else that you're still in love with her."

Again, Draco ignores his comment on his feelings for the Gryffindor as they walk into an antics shop. "I'll have you know, that my 'mission impossible' has worked after all."

"Oh? And how would you know this?"

The blonde pauses before answering. "Rose told me."

"Of course she did."

"Do you doubt my daughter's word, Blaise?"

"No, of course not. It's just, she's 16, Draco, and despite the fact that she's just as evil and manipulating as you – if not more so – she's still just a teenage girl, who more than likely is just using this as an excuse to get you and Granger back together."

"This has nothing to do with me and Granger," Draco protests. "It has to do with the fact that even Rose knows that McLaggen is nothing but a sour, slimy git who doesn't deserve her."

"Alright mate, either you're extremely thick, or just really stubborn," Blaise mutters.

Both men fall silent as they walk slowly up and down the aisles, searching for the 'perfect gift'. And then Blaise stops, peering out the window next to him before turning once more to face his best friend.  
"What exactly did Rose say, Drake?"

"She heard Granger and Red talking about the wedding and that they weren't sure she should be marrying him."

"Well either she heard wrong, or they've managed to work things out…" he trails off awkwardly.

The blonde frowns in confusion as he glances past the wizard blocking him from the window. In the distance, across the street, he sees Grangers wild hair billowing in the breeze as she throws her head back, laughing at something McLaggen has seemingly said. The male Gryffindor grins, tossing his arm around her shoulders as he leans down to kiss her.

He growls, low his throat, as he turns away from the scene unfolding. "Fucking bastard…he probably tricked her…"

Blaise watches, on edge, as the blonde begins to pace the aisle up and down. He knows that this is just Draco's way of dealing with the anger and the pain coursing through him.

"I gotta go."

"Drake-"

"Here." He picks up a rather strange looking artifact and shoves it carefully into the dark skinned wizard's arms. Apparently he's had his eyes on it for quite some time. "Buy this. She'll love it, strange as she is."

Without another word, the blond stomps out of the shop – like a child on a temper tantrum – and walks the opposite way of the couple outside the window. Blaise has a half a mind to polyjuice himself to look like Draco himself, and do what the blonde is too stubborn (too scared) to do himself. Instead he shakes his head silently, praying to Merlin that the man will come to his senses sooner rather than later.


	3. Three: Operation McLaggen

Third installment!

Thank you all :)

Enjoy and review?

* * *

**Three-Operation McLaggen**

There's been many situations in which Draco Malfoy has had to pick himself up and dust himself off-mostly because nobody could do it for him. This situation is no different. After seeing Granger and her...fiancé (he almost gags just thinking about it) he'd allowed himself a night of wallowing in self-pity and anger before deciding that enough is enough. His last plan may have been a great one – albeit not as fool-proof as he had hoped – but now it's time to use his A-game. The proverbial guns – damn Granger and her stupid Muggle films – are coming out and the gloves are coming off. This is war. And he's going straight to the source – McLaggen himself.

With just two months left until the wedding day – until Granger becomes McLaggen (and again, he gags just thinking about it) Draco can see no other option but to play the Tool-of-all-tools himself. Okay so there's one other option, but he refuses to think about that one unless it's absolutely impossible to ignore.

Lucky for him – rather unlucky on most days – Draco catches a glimpse of the blonde Quidditch player walking out of the elevator on Hermione's floor. It's lunch time, which means he's no doubt come to take her out for lunch. Draco growls inwardly, before plastering on a fake smile-it's more of a smirk that a smile actually- and walking towards him before he reaches the hallway to her office. "McLaggen."

"Malfoy, how's it going mate?"

His voice, Draco notices, sounds faker than his own. Wanker. "Not bad. Listen, we should go out for drinks sometime-"

"Didn't know you swung that way Draco, but unfortunately I'm already taken," the dirty blonde Gryffindor jokes.

Draco smiles, tight lipped at the superstars lame joke. "Right."

"I'm kidding mate, but what for? It's not exactly a secret that we don't even like each other. Going for drinks is a little extreme, don't you think?"

"Well, sure, but seeing as how you're gonna be a part of _my_family in a matter of months, I'd like to get past all of this...tension, and try to get along. If not for Grangers sake, then for my son's sake – Scorpius seems to like you."

McLaggen grins, folding his arms over his chest. "Yes, well…"

"Cormac!"

Both men look sideways at the mention of McLaggen's name to see Hermione walking towards them. Draco looks her up and down-from her fancy Muggle tank top and skinny jeans, to the cloak wrapped around her slender frame. Is it just him, or does she look better with age? He catches the tail end of McLaggen's "hey babe", rolling his eyes as she leans into the man and accepts a kiss on the cheek.

"Draco, what are you doing here?"

This is his chance. His chance to look like the bigger person, even if he is only doing it to-

"I was just telling him that we should get a drink sometime, sort out our differences, you know?"

Draco blinks, once. Twice. Three times, as a growl builds in his throat. Did McLaggen really just take credit for _his_idea? The lying, sodding bastard!

"Isn't that right, mate?"

He has half a mind to grab him by the shirt, get right into his face and dare him to call him his 'mate' one more time. Instead, he smiles tight lipped again. "That's correct."

"Aw, that's so nice of you. I'm so glad you're trying to get along," she coos affectionately.

"Well, I just figured that since we'll be seeing more and more of each other, we might as well make the effort."

"When are you guys gonna go?"

"Friday," Draco decides quickly, before the bastard even has a chance to think.

"Friday."

"Well that works out quite well, actually. Ginny wants to catch a film that night, so I can get Rose to watch Scorpius."

"Right, yeah, that works."

"Great," Hermione smiles. Draco smiles back.

"Well, I for one am starving, so what do you say we get out of here, hmm?" McLaggen mentions, turning to Hermione.

"Yeah, me too. Drake, would you like to join us?"

He almost does a victory dance when he sees the Quidditch star glare at him over the top of her head. "Me? Nah, you two go. I've got…matters to attend to."

X

"That lying, cheating, sodding little bastard!"

For the second time in just one month, Draco bursts into Blaise's office, ranting and fuming. His face is as red as Weasley's hair, he's sure, as he slams the door behind him and begins to pace, not even noticing the two other occupants in the room.

"Just who the fuck does he think he is, playing me – ME – like that? Taking MY ideas and claiming them as his own – the fake little wanker – making himself out to be the good guy. I may be a Slytherin, but I'm a better man than he is and _he's_taking all the bloody glory. I'm telling you Blaise, I just about strangled the precious little Quidditch star – I don't care out many galleons he's worth," the blonde growls. He stops ranting, finally, to breathe and gather his thoughts. He breathes heavily through his nose as he continues to pace around the room. When his so-called best mate doesn't respond, he looks up – and finds both Blaise and Pansy staring at him. Amusement and curiosity etched into their faces. He groans out loud, because surely this cannot end well. "What, you couldn't tell me that she was here before I walked in?" he snaps.

"Before you walked in? You hardly made it through the door before you started whining," Blaise points out.

"I wasn't whining."

"Complaining, ranting, screaming – whatever, it's all the same thing with you."

"I'm going to assume that you're talking about McLaggen?" Pansy suggests.

"I'm not having this conversation with you, get out," Draco demands.

"Me? I was here first," she defends, looking offended.

"Well I'm here now, so leave."

"I'm not scared of you, Draco Malfoy, so nice try but I'm not going anywhere. Besides, I've heard more than enough to have an idea as to what's going on so you might as well just tell me."

"I'd rather gouge my eyeballs out."

"Aw, c'mon mate, take a load off," the other wizard coaxes.

"No, I'll come back."

"Draco, c'mon. I'm a woman, perhaps I can help with your little woman problem," she suggests, sounding genuine, especially for Pansy.

"I don't need your help, I've got it under control," he snaps.

"Sounds to me like you don't. When have I ever betrayed you Draco? When have I ever let you down?"

"Alphabetically, or chronologically?" he sneers.

Pansy sighs, folding her arms over her chest. "Okay fine, but I've grown up since then."

"Besides, what have you got to lose?" Blaise points out.

"Besides my dignity?"

"What dignity?"

The blonde groans loudly, plopping himself down in the arm chair across from them. Has he really sunk so low, as to seek help in Pansy Parkinson – the Queen of Mean? "So help me Pansy, if I wind up regretting this… I've got this plan, to take McLaggen out for drinks and scare him into walking away – under the guise of 'getting along', of course."

"Going to the source, I like it," she replies, nodding her approval.

"Yes, well, he didn't like it at first but then the second Granger showed up, he claimed the idea as his own. So now she thinks him a fucking saint."

"That's not a half bad plan there Malfoy."

"I know."

"Look, the way I see it, mate-"

"That's another bloody thing! He keeps calling me 'mate', like we're friends," the blond sneers, rolling her dark grey eyes.

"And as I was saying," Blaise continues, "the way I see it is this. Either way, whether she thinks it's your idea or his idea, you've still got the chance to execute your little plot. So just take it, do it, and stop complaining about it."

Draco nods silently, rubbing his right hand over his face.

"Anything to add, Pans?" Blaise asks her.

"Nope, sounds to me like the man knows what he's doing."

"You're joking right? It'd be a hell of a lot easier to just tell Granger the truth-"

"Here we go…" Draco mutters.

"Yeah, well, we both know he won't do that, so this is probably the next best thing."

"You both realize that I'm sitting right here, right?"

"Yes," they both reply simultaneously.

"'Kay, well while you guys dish this out, I've gotta go figure out my scare tacit."

X

"So, are you ready for this?"

They've been at the Leaky Cauldron for just over half an hour before when Draco decides to commence Operation McLaggen. He'd arrived a bit earlier than the Quidditch Keeper, telling the bartender to serve him water no matter what order came out of his mouth – he wants to stay sober for this. He looks sideways at his...companion, as he takes a swig of his glass of fire whiskey.

"Ready for what?" the Quidditch player asks dumbly.

"The wedding. Marriage. Married life."

"Oh, yeah, sure. Marriage is marriage right?"

"It's harder than you think, believe me."

"For some people probably, but Hermione and I...we've got a special relationship."

The bastard is goading him. "Doesn't matter. Marriage may be marriage, but it's hard as hell, no matter who you are or what your relationship is like. You find yourself fighting over the smallest of things, sometimes they last for days – weeks at a time. You've got work pressures and family pressures to deal with. Kids, now they're a huge stressor at times. It's like one minute you're on Cloud 9 and the next you're wondering why the fuck you got married in the first place," Draco tells him.

"That what happened to the two of you?"

"I guess you can say that," Draco replies shortly, before changing the subject. "And with _your_job…"

"My job?"

"Yeah, you know, traveling all the time and not being home – now that, puts a damper on things. And your fans, especially the female population. I know what it's like to be tempted, and how hard it is to say no."

"I know _you_know," the Quidditch star smirks, innuendo intended.

Draco nearly hits him. "Yeah, well…"

"Besides, who's to say we have to say no anyway, right?"

Draco blinks. "Meaning?"

"We're men. We're predators by nature. There's nothing wrong with a few...extras, if you know what mean," McLaggen replies casually, nudging the blondes elbow with his.

"She'll never stand for that, you know that right? She'll divorce you faster that you can catch a quaffle."

"Yeah, like I'd ever actually tell her," the man snorts. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her."

Draco almost gaps at him, incredulous that he's admitting that he has no problem with cheating on Hermione. Yet again, he'd like nothing more than hit him; grab him by the throat and throttle him. Instead he just nods, taking a sip of his water – um, vodka. "And then there's her family – the Grangers, the Potters and Weasley's, they're all fiercely protective of her, you know that right? And the kids. If you hurt her even once, they'll hold it against you forever – believe me."

"I'm not worried," Mr. Gryffindor shrugs.

"Oi! Malfoy-boy!"

Draco groans – there's only one person on the planet who calls him that, and only because he won't not. He turns to the left slightly to see none other than Blaise working his way through the crowd towards the bar counter.

"Whaddup mate?" He claps the grumbling blond on the back, looking next to him at McLaggen. "McLaggen, hey man!"

"Hey, uh, Zabini right?"

"You got it. What are you guys doing here?"

Draco looks at him weirdly, to which Blaise just winks and orders a drink. "What are _you_doing here?

"I was just passing by, saw you in the window and thought I'd keep you company."

Draco smirks – that's their code phrase for 'it looks like you could use my help' when either one of them is placed in an otherwise uncomfortable situation. "Always."

"Well I gotta piss, hang tight." Cormac says suddenly.

Draco rolls his eyes as he steps off of his school and walks towards the lavatories. Blaise laughs at his reaction.

"Is he driving you mad yet?"

"I'm gonna strangle him Blaise, I'm not kidding."

"How's your plan working then?"

"It's not...the bastard isn't even phased."

"Try a new approach."

"Like what?" the blonde asks curiously, desperate for any other idea.

"Intimate him. Let him know that just because he's planning on marrying Granger, it doesn't mean you're bowing out. You're stuck with each other."

Draco groans loudly. "Kill me now…"

"He might as well be marrying you too-"

"Seriously, shut up," the blonde snaps.

"I'm just saying…"

"He's talking about cheating on her, Blaise. He thinks there's nothing wrong with being unfaithful."

"Well, there you go…"

"And he tried to turn it around on me."

"Hey, c'mon, you know the truth. I know the truth. Nothing else matters-"

"It matters to me Blaise, she thinks I cheated," Draco mutters, staring into his glass of water.

"And she's probably always going to, that's a fact. But she's over it," Blaise tells him simply. "He's coming back, that's my cue to get out of here." He claps him on the back again, polishing off his whiskey turning, waving at McLaggen and leaving the pub. The blonde takes his seat next to Draco.

"He left quickly."

"Wife called," Draco replies shortly.

"Mhmmm."

Silence falls over them and Cormac takes the time to order another drink. Draco thumbs his glass, wiping the condensation off absentmindedly. "Marrying her means marry me, you know that right?"  
McLaggen looks at him, knocking back a gulp from his own glass, telling him silently to go on.  
"I'm the father of her children, so whether you like it or not, I'm always gonna be a part of her life."

"I'm well aware."

"Are you aware that the house you're living in is the one I had built for us? Or that we christened every single room months before we moved in?" Draco tells him, adding the jealousy factor as an added bonus. "I've been all over that house in more ways than one McLaggen, and I'm not going anywhere. As long as I'm alive and breathing, I'll always be there. Granger and I are over, true, but I'll always be a part of her. And I'll always have a piece of her. So if you can't handle that, you might as well bow out now."

Cormac nods calmly, taking another small sip of his drink before smirking and turning in full to face him.  
"I have no intentions of bowing out, Malfoy. And I'm well aware of the role you play in Hermione's life. I think it's _you_ who doesn't know the role _I_play."

Draco glares at him. "Try me."

Cormac smirks. "Are you aware, Malfoy, that every room you've 'christened' has been over-shadowed by the fact that I've shagged her, multiple times, in nearly every one of them – except for the kids' rooms, of course."

Draco's jaw twitches, but he manages to keep his expression neutral.

"It may be your house and your kids, but I don't need to buy her a house or father a child to gain access to her heart or body. You'll probably always have a piece of her, but what you fail to realize is that while you _had_ her, I _have_her. She's all mine to play with, Malfoy, and in all honestly, I really do pity you. You lost one hell of a minx, I'll tell you that."

That's it. That's the trigger. Draco snaps, flying out of his chair so fast it falls with a loud clatter on the floor. He grabs McLaggen's collar, pulling him off of the stool roughly and shoving him against the counter, knocking over both of their glasses. "I want you to listen to me and listen good you son of a bitch," he growls. "If you hurt her, in any way at all, I'll make your life a living fucking hell, understand?"

"Got it, mate. Don't need to, but I got it."

With that, Draco Malfoy turns and walks out of the pub, shaking with anger.


	4. Four: Operation Granger

Hey guys!

This marks the end of this particular story with the fourth and final insallment! I'd like to thanks everyone for the support and the reviews, it truly means a lot. And I'd also like to give everyone a little spoil alert... Sometime in (hopefully) near future, there will be a sequel that I hope satisfies everyone's expectations. I don't have it anything written down yet, just thoughts and such. Anyway, I hope this conclusion is something you all can be happy with!

Enjoy and review?

* * *

**Four-Operation Granger**

"You only have one thing left thing to do."

"No," Draco replies automatically.

This time it's Blaise pacing around Draco's office. This time Draco is the calm and sensible one, while Blaise is talking crazy- although Blaise would beg to differ. "_No_? Draco, you don't have any options left – you don't even have any _time_ left! You need to do something and you need to do it now. You _need _to do this," the logically speaking Slytherin stresses.

"_You_ need to let me think-"

"You have been thinking, mate, for nearly _three_ months," Blaise points out. "The wedding is in _three_ days, and 'thinking' has gotten you absolutely nowhere."

"I'm not gonna do it, Blaise."

"Well why the hell not? Honestly, what have you got to lose?"

"My dignity. My pride. My mind," the blonde responds grumpily.

"Your heart?"

Draco sighs, looking across at his best friend, frowning in disappointment, regret and defeat. "I gave it to her once, and she gave it right back, Blaise – with a few choice words. I won't let her do it yet again."

"So instead of taking the risk, you're gonna let her walk down the aisle with him? You're gonna let her make the biggest mistake of her life?"

"There was a time when people said that about us," he points out.

"Yeah, and look how right they were. The only difference is that you were her _best _mistake. McLaggen will be her worst."

"And if I do it? If I tell her how I feel and she rejects me – then what? Huh? She'll still marry him-"

"You never know until you try. And _your _biggest mistake would be not trying."

Draco shakes his head, leaning back in his chair as he glances sideways out the window.

X

He's thought about it. Really, he has. And he's wanted to tell her how he feels – how he's always felt – for years now. He just can't. He can't bring himself to be the fearless teenager he once was and jump into something so uncertain and so raw with blind eyes. He isn't a Gryffindor – he isn't courageous and selfless. In fact he's quite literally the opposite.

When he walks into his house that night, he knows that something's off. Things are just far too quiet and far too cold. When he walks into the living room, his suspicions are proven right as he sees his Rose sitting in the arm chair next to the fire, watching the flames. He leaves his briefcase on the floor in the doorway, and throws his jacket over the back of the couch before sitting down opposite her. Her unruly curls are pulled back into a messy ponytail, and she's wearing a pair of those legging things the girls these days like to wear and one of his oversized Quidditch jerseys. Her legs are pulled up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them tightly.

"Rose-"

"You're a liar," she grounds out, refusing to look at him.

He frowns, sitting forward. "Rose…" he trails off, unable to find the words he really wants to say.

"You lied to me, daddy. You said you'd help – you said you'd fix this, and you haven't done anything," she accuses.

"I tried, baby-"

"You didn't try hard enough then, did you!" she shouts, pushing herself to her feet as she glares down at him. "Because she's gonna marry him in two days – two! And you've done nothing but sit around here and – and what? Huh dad?"

Draco sighs, leaning back on the couch as he rubs his hands over his face. "I dunno what you want me to say, Rose-"

"I want you to fix it!"

"I can't-"

"Yes you can, you just won't." Her voice is shaky, but venomous nonetheless. Tears are trickling down her cheeks and rolling down her lips; she doesn't even try to hide them, doesn't stop them either. "You _know_ that this is wrong for her. You _know_ that she deserves better that what he can give her. And you _know _exactly what you should say to her, but you won't."

Draco looks at her, leaning forward again and then hanging his head.

"I know you still have feelings for her, dad. I know you're still in love with her – I can see it. _Everyone_ can see it. You're both just far too stubborn to do anything about it."

"That's what this is about, isn't it?" he asks, his voice barely above a whisper as he looks back up at his daughter. "You were hoping that if I was the one to get in the middle your mother and I would get back together."

"Is it a crime to want my parents to be together?" she wonders softly, albeit sarcastically, as she sits back down and crosses her arms over her chest protectively.

He sighs, pushing himself to his feet and walking the short distance to where she is. He bends down, resting his hands on her knees. "Look at me. Rose, look at me," he repeats when she doesn't.

She does as she's told, albeit grudgingly.

"Just because two people care for each other, doesn't mean they should be together."

"Maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to have a life together, and then tear it apart," she snaps, her gaze narrowing.

"Sometimes people are just _too _different," he whispers.

"Is that what happened to you and mum?" she asks, sounding too much like the little girl she was when they told her that daddy was moving out of the house.

"A lot of things happened to me and mum."

"I don't understand why you can't just tell her-"

"Your mother made her decision, Rose. She made her decision when she decided to say yes. And it is _her _decision who she marries, not mine, not yours and not Scorpius'," he murmurs softly.

"Why didn't you say something like that three months ago then?"

"Because I was acting on pure selfishness."

"You still are – by not telling her," she points out.

He sighs, shaking his head. "Rosie, you don't understand-"

"No, I don't," she agrees. "I don't understand how you can let another guy waltz into our lives and take her like this. I don't understand how you can just watch the love of your life marry someone else and not even try to stop her. I don't understand how you can give up so easily." She stands up then, wiping her cheeks with her sleeves and walking around him.

"Rosie-"

"You know..." she trails off, her voice shaking with emotion as she struggles to keep her composure. "A wise man once told me that I should never give up on something that feels right. That I should fight for what I believe in. That I should follow my heart no matter where it takes me. I used to look up to him. And now...now I'm not so sure he knew what he was talking about."

"Rose-" He reaches out for her, but the utter pain and confusion in her dark brown eyes makes him stop. (It's the same look her mother cast him seconds before she told him she wanted a divorce.) She leaves before he gets a chance to stop her, leaving him there to ponder everything she just said. Could she be right? Of course she's right, she's one half of him and one half of Granger which means she's always right.

X

Hermione Granger takes her first shot of the night, during her bachelorette party, before an owl leaves a letter at her kitchen window. She opens it slowly, while everyone else is in the living room, and read it.

"Our place".

Two words. That's all it takes for her heart to sore and her blood to race, her body setting ablaze. Two words in _his_handwriting to know exactly what he's asking of her – although knowing him, it's more of a command. She grabs her purse off of the counter and her house keys off of the hook near the front door. Ginny Potter slides in front of her before she can make an escape.

"Hermione Granger, what are you up to? It's your bachelorette party, you can't just leave!"

"I just have to take care of something, that's all. I won't be long, I promise."

He's waiting for her when she gets there, standing on top of the old foot bridge. She's forgotten how good he looks in Muggle clothes – dark jeans and a t-shirt. His golden blonde hair shines in the moonlight, reflecting off of his pale skin.

He turns in her direction as she gets closer, like he can sense her. Feel her. "You came," he whispers.

"You knew I would." She falls into place beside him, overlooking the river and watching the wind play with the leaves on the trees and in the bushes. It feels so natural, the two of them standing here side by side. So right. "I thought you'd be out with the guys for Cormac's bachelor party," she whispers.

"I wasn't feeling up to it."

"Would you have gone if you were?"

"Not sure," he shrugs, before adding, "probably not."

She looks sideways at him, peering up at him curiously. "Why am I here, Draco?"

"I was just...I thought..." he trails off, mentally berating himself for sounding so unprepared. So nervous. "I wanted to tell you something. I had it all planned out earlier, and now...I can't remember a thing," he admits.

"Tonight's my bachelorette party-"

"I know, believe me...I know," he mutters, sighing loudly.

Silence falls over them as she looks back out over the river. And then she speaks. "This used to be my favorite place in the whole world."

"Mine too."

"We have a lot of memories here, don't we? First date, first kiss…"

"First snog," he smirks.

"Your proposal-"

"Don't marry him," he whispers suddenly.

She blinks, whipping her face around to look at him with wide eyes. The look on his face is a look of sadness and desperation.

"Please don't marry him."

She shakes her head. "I can't do this, Draco-" She goes to walk around him, to leave, but he catches her arm, stopping her.

"I don't want you to marry him-"

"Stop it," she whispers weakly, trying to free herself from his gasp, but he's stronger.

"He's not right for you, Hermione. He doesn't deserve you-"

"Stop it."

"You deserve so much better than him-"

"Stop…" she whimpers.

"I love you."

She freezes. She looks up at him in total shock as tears glisten in her eyes.

"I love you so much, Granger. I always have. I always will-"

"Stop it!" she yells, yanking her arm out of his grip roughly. "You...you can't do this to me, I'm getting married tomorrow, Draco-"

"So don't marry him-"

"Stop saying that! Just...stop it. Why are you doing this?" she asks desperately.

"Because I love you. Because even though it's been years, I _still _love you," he admits. "And I think you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life if you marry him tomorrow."

"My biggest mistake was marrying _you_," she snaps, turning away from him.

"And a beautiful mistake that was, don't you think?"

"So what if this is a mistake – it's my mistake to make," she exclaims, whirling around to face him.

"Granger-"

"No! You can't do this! You can't come here on the night before my wedding and tell me all of this, it isn't fair! You had three months, Draco! You had three months, to do something about it and you didn't-"

"I did too!" he yells back, not even caring how furious she gets with him. "I was the reason all those places cancelled on you; I paid them off. I tried to get McLaggen to back off-" He doesn't see the hand that slaps him. He feels it though, and hears it as it echoes in the air around them. He closes his eyes, nodding softly to himself, as he knows he deserves that.

"You're a bastard. You can't do this to me-"

"_To_ you? I'm doing this _for _you – for us!" he exclaims.

"There _is _no us-"

"There could be! Merlin, baby, there could be," he murmurs, taking both of her hands in his, stroking his thumbs over her soft skin. "Run away with me. Marry me. Be with _me_ – I'll do anything. We can have our family back. I'll give you the world, you know I will-"

"I can't," she whispers.

"Why? Why not?" he demands desperately.

"Because Cormac-"

"Is an idiot. He's a selfish bastard who only cares about himself, Granger."

"He cares about me. He loves me."

"Do you love him?" he asks.

"Y-yes."

"Do you love me?"

"It doesn't matter, because I can't do this. It's too late-"

"It's never too late," he insists.

"Draco-"

"L-listen, okay? I would've done this sooner, it's just...I was terrified," he admits sheepishly. "I was scared shitless of getting hurt. And then a 17 year old girl put me in my place and I realized that no matter how scared I am...I love you more. I've always loved you. I'll pay off the wedding, I'll pay all of your expenses, just...don't marry him. Please," he whispers. He's all but on his knees, begging her.

She hesitates for a moment, before sighing softly and shaking her hand, pulling her hands out of his. "I can't."

"Why?"

"Because you're toxic, Draco. You...you hurt people. You hurt me-"

"I didn't do that. I never cheated on you," he replies sternly.

"It was in the paper, Draco, there were pictures-"

"They were false! Everything was a lie, made up by some witch who wanted fame and glory. I never cheated on you," he repeats, with the same confidence and determination as before.

She sighs, rolling her eyes. "It's just us now Draco, and you've got nothing to lose. I want the truth-"

"That's the fucking truth!" he shouts. "I never cheated on you! Not once – not ever! I never even thought about it. I was far too selfishly in love with you to hurt you like that – I still am," he admits, his voice slightly softer now.

"W...why didn't you tell me that?" she whispers, clearly taken aback.

"I tried to, you wouldn't listen to me," he mutters, glancing down at the ground. "Things were already going downhill and you refused to listen to anything I had to say."

Silence falls over them and she turns away from him, folding her arms across her chest protectively as a lone tear trickles down her cheek. He watches her cautiously, hopefully. His breathing is hard due to the adrenaline pumping through him. He isn't sure what he's more afraid of now...her rejecting him, or accepting him.

"Hermione...please, say something," he whispers.

"I...I dunno what you want me to say-"

"Yes you do."

She sighs, looking up at him through damp eyelashes. "I can't, Draco. You and me...we don't work together. We're too different-"

"That's exactly what I told Rose. And then I realized that it's just an excuse I've been using because the truth is, that no matter how different we were, we always worked. We just couldn't find our footing in the end. She also reminded me of something that I seemed to have forgotten. To never give up on what feels right. To fight for what you believe in. To follow your heart, no matter where it takes you. _You _taught me that Granger, and you can't tell me that this doesn't feel right," he murmurs, waving his hand between them.

"You and Rose have been in on this from the beginning, haven't you?"

He nods. "She doesn't like McLaggen any more than I do-"

"Well it's not up to her! And it isn't up to you either-"

"You don't think I know that?"

Again, silence falls over them. Draco leans back against the side of the bridge, kicking at the ground with his expensive shoes, his arms crossed over his chest. She looks at him for a moment, before resting beside him. Close enough to feel his warmth, but not quite touching. She can feel the desperation and the longing; she can hear it in his voice. "What we had, Draco...it was amazing-"

"It still is. It still can be-"

"But we were young, and stupid," she continues. "We didn't think about the consequences, we just did it-"

"That's the beauty of though, isn't it? Not thinking...that's…that's what love is all about, right?" he asks rhetorically, repeating some of Blaise Zabini's wise words. "Jumping in head first, not caring where or how you're going to land just as long as somebody catches you... And I'll always catch you. Always."

"I made a commitment to Cormac when I said yes, Draco, and I can't turn my back on him."

He sighs, rolling his eyes, disapproving of her loyalty to the Quidditch star. "If the roles were reversed, he'd run away so fast-"

"Maybe he would. But that has nothing to do with you," she snaps, turning to face him. And almost immediately, her expression softens. "You'll always be a part of my life, Draco, and I'll always love you, I just...can't be with you."

He nods, seemingly admitting defeat. Seconds later, his lips are on hers and his hands are on both sides of her face, cupping her cheeks and tilting her head up, giving himself better access. She moans into his mouth, her hands falling to his hips and he takes advantage of her open mouthed gasp to sneak his tongue in, eliciting a moan of his own. This is home. This will always be home. It's hard and passionate and desperate and hungry; it's everything that makes them, _them_. His cheeks are wet and he isn't sure if it's because she's crying or because he is.

Moments later he pulls back, breathing heavily as he rests his forehead against hers. He opens his eyes to look into her face to find her staring right back at him. "For old times' sake…" he murmurs.

"I don't expect you to come tomorrow…" she whispers softly, understanding how hard it would be for him.

"I'll be there. I promise."

She smiles weakly, pulling away from him. "You're a sadist, then."

Draco smirks, shoving his hands into his pockets to keep himself (and his hormones) in check. "Always have been, always will be. I married _you_, didn't I?" he jokes.

It's the only way he'll be able to survive the next few days, at least.

X

Draco Malfoy doesn't sleep all night. A sadist, he truly is, as he spends hours upon hours in the middle of the night thinking. Thinking about the past and the present and the future. He can't imagine a life without her, in any way, which is the only reason why he still intends to go to the blasted wedding.

And then it hits him – the _Perfect Plan_. This time it really is fool-proof. So fool-proof, in fact, he wonders why he never thought of it before.

And this is why, at 2:30 in the afternoon, one could find Draco Malfoy sauntering quite confidently towards the Burrow from where he'd apparated. Rose, who is standing on the porch with Red and Potter, is the first person to see him. She smiles sadly, before running towards him and throwing herself into his arms. His awaiting arms curl around her, holding her tight against his chest as she whispers apologies into his neck.

"I'm so sorry for the other day, daddy, I was upset and scared and-"

"It's okay, baby. It's okay," he whispers into her hair. He pulls away from her slightly, holding her face in his hands. "You were right, about everything, Rose. Absolutely right."

"Daddy!"

Draco glances over her shoulder to see Scorpius sprinting towards him. He bends down and the little boy catapults himself into his arms, laughing as he picks him up and twirls him around. "Hey, buddy."

"I miss you, dad."

"Miss you too, bud," the fathers of two whispers into his sons ear before pulling back and ruffling his hair.

"Uncle Harry showed me his invisibility cloak, it's so cool!" the twelve year old boy exclaims excitedly.

"Oh, that's just wonderful," Draco mutters sarcastically.

Scorpius erupts into a fit of giggles before running back into the house.

"So I guess this is it, huh? The beginning of the end…" Rose whispers, trailing off as she looks back at the Burrow.

"Not quite."

Rose's eyes light up as she looks up at her father. "You have a plan, don't you?"

He smirks; his daughter knows him so well. "Yes, I do. And this time I promise it'll work."

"How do you know?"

"Do you trust me, Rosie?"

"Of course," she replies, smiling brightly at him.

"Then trust me when I say it'll work."

She smiles excitedly. "'Kay."

He grins, kissing her temple quickly. "Now, where's McLaggen?"

"Uncle Fred's old room, he's getting ready."

"And your mother?"

"Aunt Ginny's room."

"Okay, keep her entertained."

He leans down, kissing her temple again before walking into the Burrow. He greets the guests accordingly, stopping to hug Mrs. Weasley, before heading upstairs towards Fred's old room. He walks in, without knocking-because quite frankly he could care less about the man's privacy – and finds the Quidditch star quite...preoccupied.

The undergarment clad woman wrapped around McLaggen's hips squeaks as she struggles to disengage herself and pull her dress back on. Draco smirks knowingly as she runs out of the room. He looks at McLaggen, who continues to redress himself casually – not even looking the least bit put off. Or scared, as he should be. "Alright, McLaggen. I'm going to ignore what I just witnessed here because in a matter of minutes it really won't matter. I have a proposal for you, and considering what I did just witness, it'd be in your best interest to accept it."

McLaggen smirks, adjusting the cuff links on his cuffs. "You don't scare me, Malfoy. You can preach to Hermione all you want about what you just saw, but she won't believe you. It's your word against mine."

"You're right, she probably won't believe me," he agrees, waving it off. "But don't think it's because she doesn't think you're capable of doing it. If anything it'd be because I'd do _anything _for her."

Once more, Cormac seems unfazed. He merely tightens the tie around his neck, looking at him through the mirror. "What's this 'proposal' Malfoy?"

"I have a cheque with me. It's dated for tomorrow, the sum is already written down. All I have to do is put your name on it and it's yours – if you walk away from this wedding," the blonde replies, sounding very much like the business man within him. The business man his father had wanted him to be.

"A cheque?" McLaggen scoffs. "I'm not sure if you realize this Malfoy, but I'm a highly paid Quidditch player. I don't need your money."

"I'm not sure if you realize _this_, McLaggen, but I'm far richer than yourself. I'm far richer than you ever will be. With this money you could retire tomorrow and still have enough of it by the time you're old and wrinkled." He pulls said cheque out of his breast pocket, holding it out for the 'star' to take. The man doesn't even hesitate as he reaches out to take it from him. He watches as the groom (gag) unfolds it, watches the flicker in his eyes as they land on the total sum of money – the sum a Malfoy is willing, but not stupid enough to pay him to leave.

"What's the catch?"

"You leave," the Slytherin responds simply. "You turn your back on this wedding and the money is yours. You disapparate far away from here, don't tell anybody what's happened here and you're free to live your life as you please. Hermione will tell the guests that it was a mutual decision and you both keep your dignity – whatever amount _you _have left."

"And if I refuse?"

"I'll make your life a living hell," the blonde grins, folding his arms over his chest smugly.

"Does she know about this?"

"Not yet. I won't lie to her for you McLaggen, if that's what you're thinking. She'll know, if this is what you decide to do, but by then you'll be long gone."

McLaggen smirks, though it's not nearly as menacing (or as attractive) as Draco's. "You're a dirty player, Malfoy. Fair, but dirty."

"Is that a yes?"

The Quidditch player nods, handing the cheque back to him. Draco smirks, summoning a quill from Fred's old desk and scribbling down McLaggen's full name in the receivers block. He puts the quill back where it came from before handing the cheque back.

McLaggen smirks, pulling his suit jacket on over his shoulders. "Pleasure doing business with you , Malfoy."

Draco nods, prepared to let him leave without ever seeing him again, or caring where he plans on going, but something is nagging at him. Something he's been wondering for quite some time. "Just...one question. Did you ever really love her? Did you even care about her?"

"Love is such a _strong _word. But yes, I've cared about her."

"Evidently not enough."

"I suppose not, no."

Without another word the man disapparates, leaving Draco alone in the room. He sighs heavily, rubbing his face with his hands, for now he has to break the news to Hermione – and break her heart in the process.

X

He hesitates outside the door to Ginny's old room, listening to the three different voices inside. Lifting his arm slowly, he knocks on the door and then waits patiently for it to be opened. Ginny pulls it open, standing inside the room and looking at him wearily. "Malfoy."

"Red," he greets her courteously.

"Hey daddy," Rose replies from further in the room.

"Hey baby girl. Listen, can I have a few minutes with the bride?"

Ginny looks back at the woman dressed in white, as if wondering if she'll be okay alone with him. She nods, and almost begrudgingly, the flaming redhead walks past him and down the hall. Rose is quick to follow, placing a kiss on his cheek and winking at him on her way by. He steps into the room closing the door behind him, his gaze gliding up and down her body. She's wearing a white gown, the bodice hugging her curves perfectly while the bottom fans out around her. Her hair is half pulled up, pinned at the back with a fancy looking pin, the rest of it falling in loose curls across her shoulders. Stunning, he thinks. Absolutely beautiful. Perfect.

He blinks, rubbing the back of his neck as she smiles at him through the mirror. "You look...Merlin, you look beautiful," he breathes.

"Thanks." Her cheeks turn a rosy pink colour as she turns around to face him. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

"I'm late, I know... I had to take care of some...business."

"I'm glad you came," she whispers, smiling that smile of hers. That smile she keeps just for him. Strangely enough she wouldn't have been able to do this without him.

"You should probably hold onto that thought…" he whispers, glancing down at the floor.

"Why?" she asks curiously, wearily.

He looks at her, regretting what he knows he has to do but only because he doesn't want to watch her fall apart. Especially when she's looking like this. "He's not coming."

She blinks, her mouth opening and then closing. Her eyes flicker with confusion and curiosity. "W-why? What are you talking about?"

"He isn't coming, Granger. He's gone."

"How do you know that?" She asks skeptically. And then her eyes widen, and then narrow as a look of understanding washes over her features. "What did you do Draco?"

"I…" He trails off, looking all over the room except for at her – at the wall, the ceiling, the floor. He looks up only when he sees the bottom of her dress so close to his Italian leather shoes. Her eyes are slick with tears threatening to betray her as she stares at him questioningly.

"What did you do?"

He sighs, his tongue sneaking out to wet his lips as he pushes his hand through his hair. "I gave him a choice-"

"What kind of choice?" she demands, not even giving him a chance to explain.

"A choice, Granger. A simple choice, and he chose wrong," Draco whispers.

"What choice?"

"I offered him a cheque to walk away, with enough money to keep him more than satisfied for seven lifetimes. In exchange for the cheque he was to walk away – from you and from the wedding," he reveals.

"And he...he took the cheque, didn't he?"

Draco nods silently. She backs away from him, shaking her head and sniffing back tears. He reaches for her, to comfort her, to hold her, anything, but she shrugs him off rather violently.

"Don't-don't touch me! You...you're a bastard!" She spins on her heel, her hair wiping around. Her gaze is wild and feral with anger and pain. "You're a fucking bastard! You just couldn't handle the fact that I was happy, could you? You couldn't handle the fact that I was moving on from you, so you had to ruin it for me! You ruined everything, I hate you! I hate you, I hate you, I…" She trails off as he pulls her against his chest tightly, his left arm gripping her around the waist and his right hand holding the back of her head firmly as she begins to sob into the material of his suit.

Moments later, as she's calming down, she pulls away from him and he lets her, his arms falling to his sides. She walks towards the window, looking out over the yard at her own wedding.

"He made the choice Hermione, I just gave him the means to make it. He didn't have to take the cheque, I didn't force him-"

"You knew he would," she whispers, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Of course I knew-"

"Which makes you just as bad."

He sighs, inching closer to her. "Look, Granger-"

Still refusing to face him, she cuts him off. "You were absolutely right last night. You do love my selfishly, you can't even accept-"

"Yes, okay, I do," he admits hastily. "But this isn't about me. Last night, that was about me, yes I'll admit to that. But today it's about you, and the man you would've married. It's about the fact that he doesn't love you the way you thought he did, the way you deserve to be loved. The fact that he took that cheque proved that, because he could have said no. He could've told me to fuck myself, but he didn't. He took it, and he ran. You're better off without him. I've accepted that you can't be with me, and I get it. But you're better off alone than with him."

She doesn't respond, and if he didn't know any better, he'd think she was ignoring him. He takes a deep breath, preparing to tell her something he's kept secret for 20 years.

"My father, he offered me the same choice," he says softly, staring at the back of her head. "The night before our wedding, he wrote me a cheque that would've kept me more than satisfied for 10 lifetimes and he told me that if I left you behind, I could have it. I didn't even hesitate telling him what I thought of him and what he could do with that cheque. I chose _you_, Hermione. I chose you over the money, and over my own father. And I'd do it again a hundred times over. If he had done that, if McLaggen had chosen _you_, I would've let you marry him no question."

She turns around to face him then, her cheeks dry but her eyes still shining with wetness. "I never knew that," she whispers.

"I never intended you to."

"So what happens now?" she asks, her voice weak and thick with tears. "I have to go out there and tell all of those people that there won't be a wedding, while he gets to just disappear with your money."

He smirks – does she not know him at all? "Yes, well, that would've been stupid of me wouldn't it? To just throw my money around like that."

"You mean...you didn't?" she asks, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

"The cheque was out dated. He'll be quite surprised when he gets to Gringotts tomorrow," he chuckles, proud of himself. "Besides, I think my money can be better spent elsewhere. Like paying for this non-wedding."

She laughs slightly, rolling her eyes. "You're a dirty fighter, Malfoy."

He smirks again. "I've heard that before. And as for what you do now...you get changed and you go down there and tell everyone that it was a mutual decision between the two of you. That way he gets to keep his precious reputation and career, and you get to keep yours safe."

She looks at him for a moment. Just stares, like she's trying to figure him out. "You've thought of everything, haven't you?"

He nods, just once. "I had a lot of time to think last night."

She catches him off guard then as she throws her arms around his neck and hugs him. "Don't let anybody else tell you that you don't look out for your family, Draco. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever done for me," she whispers.

He smiles as she pulls back.

"Would you like to come with me?"

He shakes his head, smiling reassuringly at her. "I think you can handle it."

She nods, leaning forward to kiss his cheek before sliding past him and leaving him alone. He smiles to himself, pushing his hands into his pockets and leaning against the window frame.

For the first time in months, the world feels right again. For the first time in months, he can breathe easily.

And who knows what the future might hold.


	5. Author's Note

Author's Note: the sequel/companion piece is up! It's called _Second Chances, Same Mistakes_.


End file.
